boat help

[brianlt21]

I need some ideas looked at alot of things but not helping

I would like to start to fishing for big cats at night, walleye, possibly musky, and pike but need to know how to set my boat up for this I just have a 14' alum boat with a 9.9 johnson tiller so far depth finder and thats it please help..

 

[Jim]

What do you mean set up? Like seats, Lights, Rod holders, Livewells?

 

[ben2go]

I wouldn't bother with a permanent live well if you practice catch and release.Instead try a cooler conversion for your size of keepers.You can take it in and out as need and save some room when it's not needed.Trolling motors are great for lakes and still rivers.Just make sure you have enough battery power for the trolling motor,lights,depth finder,fish finder,live well,plus any thing else that maybe battery powered.I like those drift anchors.I've never had the use for one but still good for river fishing or areas with fast currents.Anchor with chain and correct type and size rope is always handy.Rod holders are a must for trolling and cast n wait fishing.A good net can always come in handy.Am I on the right page with this?

 

[SlimeTime]

There are a few things you'll want, and one of them is a comfortable seat since you'll be spending the night in it. If you want room to catch a nap, keep that in mind as well. As mentioned, rodholders can certainly be handy, but I've also fished alot with the rods leaning against the hull. Adding carpet helps to cut-down on noise, which is a plus.

Interior lighting can help when you need to illuminate the floor to find something. I run 1 battery just for electronics (fishfinder), interior lights, navigation lights, blacklights are nice, especially when you use solar green line, a small spotlight can be handy, so you can just wire a 12VDC plug (which will also recharge your cellphone), and can even run a small 12V TV :wink: Bait aerators is another item if you're planning to use live bait.

Comfort & function are the 2 main things you'll want to keep in mind since you'll be on the water for an extended time.....hopefully reeling-in some big-old cats. I also hope you'll CPR (catch-photo-release) the biggun's so they can live to fight another day, and be left to add to the population.

ST